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Police: York woman bites West York officers who offered to buy her groceries

Police said the woman became irate and police couldn't subdue her until they used a stun gun.

By REBECCA LeFEVER Daily Record/Sunday News

Updated:
01/03/2013 10:27:53 PM EST

A York woman was arrested Tuesday after she bit officers who offered to buy her food at a West York grocery store, according to a news release.

Johanny Rodriguez, 27, of the first block of South Belvidere Avenue in York was at the West York Giant Food Store, 1200 West Market St., at 1:37 p.m. Tuesday when she and her husband, Jorge Ramos, tried to exchange a $20 bill they claimed was counterfeit, according to a news release.

Police said Rodriguez and Ramos had cashed a money order at the store the day before and claimed the bill the store gave them was fake.

In a phone interview Thursday, Ramos said he had cashed the $50 money order and later went to get gas. A clerk he knows at the gas station told him the bill was fake, and he should try to get it exchanged at the store.

But when Ramos returned to the store Tuesday, store managers refused to make the exchange because the money had already been out of the store.

"I understand, and I was trying to be polite with them," Ramos said.

But Rodriguez, who is Puerto Rican and speaks little English, didn't understand what was going on. Ramos said his wife is mentally ill and was not taking her medication because the couple was not able to afford it. When Rodriguez started yelling at employees and hitting countertops, store employees called police, according to the news release.

Officers who arrived at the store said Rodriguez and Ramos shared their concerns about not having enough money to buy food for their children, the release states.

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One of the officers offered to pay for their groceries, police said.

Chief Justin Seibel said it was a unique situation and that the officer felt their story was true.

"It was clear she was upset that should couldn't buy the food she wanted," Seibel said.

Ramos agreed that the officer was "very kind."

"I offered him my hand and then I went to grab my wife by her coat and lead her to pick out some food, but she was already upset," Ramos said.

Rodriguez became "irate and belligerent," police said.

When officers asked her to stop, she got louder and when the two officers told her to leave the store and that she would be arrested for disorderly conduct, she pushed, kicked, punched and bit each of them on their hands, police said.

Ramos said that Rodriguez didn't know what was going on and that when one of the officers approached her, she shoved him.

"It's what she does when she gets upset," Ramos said. "She does it to me when she gets like that. It's her illness."

Officers were only able to arrest Rodriguez after they used a stun gun, the release states.

Ramos said he tried to calm her down, but officers told him to get back.

"I kept asking them why they were doing it and I wanted to help, but they were on her with the (stun gun)," he said.

Rodriguez was charged with aggravated and simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. She was released on $2,500 bail. The officers did not need medical treatment.

Ramos said Rodriguez is doing well and back on her medication.

"I ask her why she did that and what she was thinking, but she doesn't even remember," Ramos said.